And so it goes

In his Nov. 6 letter, “More jobs, not robots,” Bernard Korth laments the fact that robots are taking jobs from humans, and that’s a bad thing. Good luck trying to reverse this trend. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had a clear view of our future when he wrote extensively about this subject 65 years ago in his 1952 book “Player Piano.”

As described by Wikipedia, “The problem is this: How to love people who have no use … Unlike much dystopian fiction, ‘Player Piano’s society was created by indifference, both of the populace and the technology that replaced it. As such, it is the sense of purposelessness of those living in a capitalistic society that has outgrown a need for them which must be rectified. … Mankind’s blind faith in technology (and its usually disastrous effect on society) as well as the dehumanization of the poor or oppressed have since become common themes throughout Vonnegut’s work. … Throughout his life, Vonnegut continued to believe the novel’s themes were of relevance to society, writing for example in 1983 that the novel was becoming ‘more timely with each passing day.’”

I think Mr. Vonnegut was right.

Kelly Courtright

Deer Park